Feeding device for small units, in particular a dispensing device for medicines, sweetening agents and the like



July 21, 1954 P. T. ENGLEssoN 3,141,570

FEEDING DEVICE FOR SMALL UNITS, IN PARTICULAR A DISPENSING DEVICE FORMEDICINEs, swEETENING AGENTS AND TEE LIKE INVENTOR. PER roRsTE/vsA/suisso/vi Ahr/@6 United States Patent O 3,141,570 FEEDNG DEVECE FRSMALL UNHTS, EN PARTEC- ULAR A DISBENSHNG DEVICE FR MEDECENES,SWEETENDJG AGENTS AND THE LIKE Per Torsten Engiesson, Danderyd,Stockhelrns Lan, Sweden, assigner to Bertha Engiessen, Geneva,Switzerland Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 153,907 Claims priority,application Sweden Get. 6, 1951 S Clmfrns. (tCl. 22h-10ft) Thisinvention relates to a feeding device for small units, in particular adispensing device for medicines, sweetening agents and the like in theform of tablets, and is intended to facilitate the distribution,extraction and dispensing of such units especially of tablets.

An inconvenience of known devices for distribution and dispensing ofdrugs, sweetening agents and the like in tablet form is that, duringtransport and when carried by the user in boxes and similar packages,they tend to crumble unless provided with sugar-coatings, which howeveradd to the cost of the product.

Another inconvenience is that, especially in the case of small tablets,it is diiiicult to check the exact number of tablets shaken out of acontainer. Often, too, the users have diiculty, when taking medicine intablet form, in remembering whether a tablet has been taken or not.

This invention is intended to avoid these inconveniences and embodiesessentially a feeding or dispensing device consisting, firstly, of acontainer with at least one channel for holding and dispensing thetablets, in which container the tablets can be packed and distributedand which is permanently closed at one end, its other end beingopenable; secondly of a feeder which can be fitted over the open end ofthe container, the feeder having a closure member which closes saidchannel in the unactuated condition of the feeder but is openableagainst spring action, exerted for example by a lid having in it anopening so arranged that the outlet of the dispensing channel is laidopen in the actuated position of the lid, whereupon a resilient part ofthe feeder, which comes into action in the actuated position of theclosure member, is arranged to press at least the tablet next to thetablet or tablets in turn to be dispensed against one of the limitingsurfaces of the channel, for example the bottom, thus preventing thetablet under pressure and subsequent tablets from moving in thedirection of the opening while permitting extraction under the force ofgravity of the tablet or tablets nearest to the opening.

Consequently the feeding device according to the invention operates insuch a way that, of the tablets to be propelled along the dispensingchannel under the force of gravity at least one of the tablets to besubsequently dispensed is pressed by a spring appliance acting upon itfrom the upper side of the channel against, for example, the bottom ofthe channel, so that the tablet then being dispensed, by simultaneousopening of the channel can fall out under the force of gravity.

This manner of extraction dilers from that of known devices in that thedispensed tablet can fall out solely under force of gravity and that noappreciable pressure need be exerted on any of the tablets during thedispensing process. The device according to the invention also has theadvantage in respect of manufacture and distribution that the place atwhich the spring appliance shall enter through, for example, the top ofthe dispensing channel need not be exactly located for the purpose ofpressing upon the second and possibly one or more of the subsequenttablets. The actual feeding device will therefore be simple tomanufacture and handle, and also cheap, so that, if desired, all formsof package could be supplied with such feeding device. Preferably,however,

p 3,141,570? Patented July 21, 1964 ICC it can be constructed as aseparate feeder unit which can be easily transferred from one package toanother after the first has been used.

Another very important advantage of the dispensing apparatus accordingto this invention is, as will be apparent from the following, that itcan very easily and at small expense be provided with a catch for 'thelid which cannot readily be released by children, a property which isrequired of dispensing devices of this kind when used for medicine ordrugs, the uncontrolled consumption of which may involve risks,especially for children.

According to one form of the invention the container is made with anumber of channels for holding and dispensing the tablets, arranged, inthe sectional view, cycli cally around the periphery of the container insuch a way that a feeder with closure member in which is a dispensingopening can be fitted above the extraction end of the container in anumber of mutually angularly displaced positions corresponding to thenumber of channels, so enabling extraction to take place from anyselected one of the channels on each occasion.

According to another form the container has four channels for holdingand dispensing the tablets arranged, in the sectional view, in the formof a swastika for saving of space, so that there are four positions atright angles to one another between the container and feeder.

According to another characteristic of the invention the feeder has aspring appliance in the form of an appropriately soft stud designed,simultaneously with the actuation of the extraction lid, to enterthrough an opening in the top of an extraction channel so as to exert alight pressure on the next tablet after the one to be dispensed. Theextracting end of the container, in the parts of its outer walls whichcorrespond to the upper sides of the dispensing channels, shouldpreferably be provided with holes or slots for the passage of actuatingstuds.

Another characteristic of a feeder according to the invention is that,on two sides corresponding to the edges of the lid, it has an inwardlyprojecting protuberance or knob, designed to engage with one of theopenings in the container. It is advisable in this connection to formthe feeder with a slot in order to increase its elasticity.

According to the invention it is also advisable to make the lid in theform of an angle piece in which one limb forms the end wall with adispensing opening and the other limb has a pressure surface, preferablymilled, and resiliently connected, as by means of a fillet, to the upperrear edge of the feeder. A suitable arrangement is to locate theresilient stud on the bottom of said pressure surface. l'nstead ofmounting said piece by means of a fillet, the piece might be bentthrough an arc of roughly at the rear edge of the feeder and theunderside of the bent portion could, for example, be glued to the upperside of the feeder. The container should suitably be made of transparentmaterial such as plastic, so that the tablets can be seen in theextraction channel or channels, and also counted. The length of thechannels can be chosen so as to suffice, for example, for seven daysdoses, so that the user can readily see how many tablets have beenconsumed and how many remain. In such case the size of the dispensingdevice will generally be such as to lit conveniently into a coat orwaistcoat pocket or ladys handbag.

ln order that the dispensing lid shall not be actuated accidentally,projecting 0r bent edges can be arranged on the sides of the feeder'.These edges can either project in the longitudinal direction of thedispensing device and be bent around the sides of the lid so that thelid slides up and down in lateral grooves, or the sides of the feedercan be made to project upwards past the upper pressure surface of theangle piece.

The mounting of the angle piece by means of the llet at the rear edgeshould suitably be arranged so that the upper rear edge of the feederillet projects over the pressure surface of the angle piece in thedispensingv direction. Especially if the feeder is made of plastic, aresilient and simple mounting is obtained for the angle piece.

The container may suitably be manufactured by rst extruding a plasticprofile of essentially swastika-shaped cross-section, thereafter gluingto this profile longitudinal plastic strips to form Walls, especially onthe upper and lower sides of the semi-finished product, which canthereafter be cut into lengths corresponding t the desired length ofcontainer.

For certain types of units or tablets it may still be advisable to use abox-like container. In such case a dispensing channel can be arrangedalong one long side of the box with a feeder essentially of the kindindicated at the outlet of the channel at one corner of the box.

The invention will now be described in greater detail in associationwith the appended drawing. The drawing shows in FIG. l a perspectiveview of a dispenser according to this invention,

FIGS. 2 and 3 a longitudinal cross-section of the dispenser shown inFIG. l,

FIGS. 4, and 6 the dispenser shown in FIG. l divided into its componentparts,

FIG. 7 an appropriate method of manufacturing the container, and

FIG; 8 a dispenser of box type.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. l consists of a container 1 anda feeder 2. The feeder 2 is pushed over the end of the container at thefar left of the drawing and at its upper rear edge 3 is furnished withan inwardly facing, fingernail-shaped projection 4 under which limb 7 ofthe dispensing lid, shaped as an angle piece 5 with a front Wall 6. Limb7 has a milled pressure surface 8 and a fillet-shaped edge 9 tting intoa corresponding recess furthest in under the fingernail-shaped portion4. By pressure with a finger on the pressure surface 8, the angle piece5 can be pushed down against the upper surface of the container, wherebythe front wall of the dispensing lid 6 is moved essentially at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the container;

In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 the various parts of the dispenser are shownseverally. As is seen, the container 1 has four feed channels 1t?, 11,12, 13, which may be filled with tablets, preferably rectangulartablets. The body of the feeder 2 is shown in FIG. 5. It forms a capwith ve surfaces, which slides over the open fore end of thecontainer 1. This end is therefore covered by the front wall 14 of thecap which, however, in the relative positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ofthe container and the feeder cap, leaves feed channel 11 open through arectangular opening 1S in the front wall 14 of the cap. The angle piece5 of the feeder is shown in FIG. 4. It is composed of a limb 7 With apressure surface 3 and a dispensing lid 6. The limb '7 has a fillet 9 onits rear edge. The angle piece 5 is designed to be fitted to the cap insuch in such manner that the fingernail projection 4 on the cap is bentslightly upwards and the pressure surface 8 slides in under saidprojection 4 so that its llet 9 enters under a corresponding groove 16below the fingernailshaped projection 4. The pressure surface 8 of theangle piece is thereby clamped under the projection 4 and under thespring action of the projection can be moved up and down against the capsurface 17. The dispensing lid 6 is thereby pushed along the cap surface14 until the opening 18 of the lid cornes opposite opening 15 in thecap. Thus in this position a tablet can be dispensed when the despenseris inclined slightly downwards. To prevent all tablets except the tabletor tablets adjacent the dispensing opening from falling out, the anglepiece 5 has on the underside of the pressure surface 8 a soft resilientstud projection 24 which, in this position of the angle piece,

projects through the opening 19 of the container so that a lightpressure can be exerted on the second tablet to be dispensed. To preventaccidental pressure on the pressure surface 8, the sides of the feederare sloped upwards in front of the projection 4 and in the same planetherewith to form edges Ztl, 21. On their inner surfaces the sides ofthe cap can be furnished with protuberances or knobs 22 which, when thecap is pushed over the container, enter into engagement with twoopposing openings 19 in the container.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the described form of the invention in cross-section.The dispenser is shown in closed position in FIG. 3 and in dispensingposition in FIG. 2, with a tablet 23 just having fallen out of thedispensing opening 18. Otherwise the designations in FIGS. 2 and 3 arethe same as in the remaining figures. As appears from FIG. 3, the stud24 projects into the opening 19 even when the dispenser is closed. Frontwall 14 of the cap and front wall 6 of the lid should preferably beslightly arced to permit ease of movement around the bearing formed byllet 9.

The container may be manufactured in different ways. A suitable methodis shown in FIG. 7. A profile of plastic or metal with essentiallyswastika-shaped cross-section is first extruded or die-cast and on thisprofile are then glued strips of plastic or metal to form the Walls ofthe container, especially its top and walls.

FIG. 8 shows another form of the invention in which the tablets areplaced in a box 25, inside which a wall 26 is arranged along one longside of the box to form a dispensing channel. The tablets can be broughtinto the channel through an opening 27 in `one end Wall so as to bedisposed one after the other in the dispensing channel. In the figurerectangular tablets are shown in the box, but this form of the inventionis also very suited to round tablets. In one corner of the box there isat the outlet of the channel an angle piece 5, mounted in the same wayas the angle piece in the earlier described form of the invention. Inthis case, too, the angle piece has a pressure surface 8, pressure onwhich causes a dispensing lid 6 t0 move in a direction at right anglesto the direction of dispensing of the tablets. An opening 1S in the lidis thus brought opposite the outlet of the dispensing channel so that,if the box is tilted downwards, the tablet or tablets nearest theopening is/ are dispensed, whereas the remaining tablets are retained inthe dispensing channel by a stud on the underside of the pressuresurface 8 by light pressure of the tablet next to the tablet or tabletsto be dispensed against the bottom of the dispensing channel.

To prevent use of the dispenser according to the invention by children,the angle piece 5 can be latched in its upper, closed position, forexample by means of a button depressable against spring tension throughthe pressure surface 8, the button being rotatable around its own axisand locking the movement of the angle piece down against surface 1'7 ofthe cap in all angular positions of the button except one specificposition.

Although the invention has been described in relation to merely two ofits forms, it can be varied as desired within the scope of the followingclaims.

What I claim is:

l. A tablet dispenser made of plastic having a container with at leastone channel for holding and dispensing the tablets through one openableend of the channel, a feeder fitting to said openable end having a lidclosing said channel in unactuated position and being openable againstspring tension, said lid having an opening arranged so as to open theoutlet of the channel in the active position of the lid, a springingmember on said feeder in the form of a soft stud designed to beintroduced simultaneously with the actuation of the dispensing lidthrough an opening in the top of the dispensing channel so as to exert alight pressure on at least the tablet next to the tablets or tablets tobe dispensed thus pressing them against one of the wall surfaces of thechannel, so preventing the movement of Y the tablet under pressure andof the subsequent tablets against the opening, While enabling dispensingof the tablet or tablets adjacent the opening under force of gravity,the dispensing lid having the form of an angle piece, one limb of whichconsists of the lid with dispensing opening, the other limb beingarranged at a certain level above the upper surface of the feederportion and at the rear edge of this surface being bent downwards andbackwards through an arc of 180 so as to form an elastic arc, thedownward facing, bent portion of which can be attached by its lower sideto the upper side of the feeder,

2. A tablet dispenser made of plastic having a container with at leastone channel for holding and dispensing the tablets through one openableend of the channel, a feeder fitting to said openable end having a lidclosing said channel in unactuated position and being openable againstspring tension, said lid having an opening arranged so as to open theoutlet of the channel in the active position of the lid, a spring memberon said feeder in the form of soft stud designed to be introducedsimultaneously with the actuation of the dispensing lid through anopening in the top of the dispensing channel so as to exert a lightpressure on at least the tablet next to the tablet or tablets to bedispensed thus pressing them against one of the wall surfaces of thechannel, so preventing the movement of the tablet under pressure and ofthe subsequent tablets against the opening, while enabling dispensing ofthe tablets or tablets adjacent the opening under force of gravity, thedispensing lid having the form of an angle piece which is mounted at itsrear edge under a fingernail shaped protuberance projecting from theupper rear edge of the feeder in the dispensing direction.

3. A tablet dispenser comprising a container having walls therein deningan article containing channel, said channel being so dimensioned as toreceive a single row of articles, one end of the channel opening throughone wall of the container, a closure for said opening, said closurecomprising an apertured plate, means mounting said plate on saidcontainer and having sliding contact with said end Wall of thecontainer, and adapted to move from closing position to dispensingposition, the aperture in the plate being adapted to register with theopening in said one wall when the plate is in dispensing position, saidmounting means comprising an integral angular extension plate secured toan adjacent Wall of said container and normally held in resilient spacedrelation thereto and holding said first-named plate in closed position,said adjacent wall having an opening therethrough extending into thechannel in spaced relation to the channel opening, and a resilientprojection on the underside of the extension plate operating throughsaid opening in the adjacent wall, said projection entering said channelonly upon resiliently depressing said extension wall toward thecontainer Wall and simultaneously moving said closure plate todispensing position.

4. A tablet dispenser having a container With at least one channel forholding and dispensing the tablets through an outlet at one end of thechannel, a feeder fitting to said outlet comprising in combination a lidtightly closing said outlet when no tablets are to be dispensed andopenable against spring tension for dispensing a tablet or tablets, alocking element designed to be introduced through an opening in the wallof the channel simultaneously with the opening of the lid so as to exertlight pressure on at least the tablet next to the tablet or tablets tobe dispensed thereby preventing the movement of the tablet or tabletsunder pressure and of the subsequent tablets against the outlet whileenabling dispensing of the tablet or tablets adjacent the outlet underforce of gravity, a pivot member enabling the dispensing movement of thefeeder, and a limb member uniting said lid, locking element and pivotmember to form a single piece consisting of a material with springingproperties.

5. A tablet dispenser having a container with at least one channel forholding and dispensing the tablets through an outlet at one end of thechannel, a feeder fitting to said outlet comprising in combination a lidtightly closing said outlet when no tablets are to be dispensed andopenable against spring tension for dispensing a tablet or tablets, saidlid having a lower part closing the outlet under said spring action andan upper part provided with an opening which coincides with the outletwhen the lid is put downwards against the action of the spring tension,a locking element designed to be introduced through an opening in thewall of the channel simultaneously with the opening of the lid so as toexert light pressure on at least the tablet next to the tablet ortablets to be dispensed thereby preventing the movement of the tablet ortablets under pressure and of the subsequent tablets against the outlet,while enabling dispensing of the tablet or tablets adjacent the outletunder force of gravity, a pivot member enabling the dispensing movementof the feeder, and a limb member uniting said lid, locking element andpivot member to form a single angled piece consisting of a material withspringing properties.

6. A tablet dispenser having a container with at least one channel forholding and dispensing the tablets through an outlet at one end of thechannel, a feeder fitting to said outlet comprising in combination a lidtightly closing said outlet when no tablets are to be dispensed andopenable against spring tension for dispensing a tablet or tablets, saidlid having a lower part closing the outlet under said spring action andan upper part provided with an opening which coincides with the outletwhen the lid is put downwards against the action of the spring tension,a locking element designed to be introduced through an opening in thewall of the channel not far from the lid simultaneously with the openingof the lid so as to exert light pressure on at least the tablets next tothe tablet or tablets to be dispensed thereby preventing the movement ofthe tablet or tablets under pressure and of the subsequent tabletsagainst the outlet, while enabling dispensing of the tablet or tabletsadjacent the outlet under force of gravity, a pivot member enabling thedispensing movement of the feeder, and a limb member uniting said lid,locking element and pivot member to form a single angled piececonsisting of a material with springing properties.

7. A tablet dispenser having a container with at least one channel forholding and dispensing the tablets through an outlet at one end of thechannel, a feeder fitting to said outlet comprising in combination a lidtightly closing said outlet when no tablets are to be dispensed andopenable against spring tension for dispensing a tablet or tablets, saidlid having a lower part closing the outlet under said spring action andan upper part provided With an opening which coincides with the outletwhen the lid is put downwards against the action of the spring tension,a locking element designed to be introduced through an opening in thewall of the channel not far from the lid simultaneously with the openingof the lid so as to exert light pressure on at least the tablets next tothe tablet or tablets to be dispensed thereby preventing the movement ofthe tablet or tablets under pressure and of the subsequent tabletsagainst the outlet while enabling dispensing of the tablet or tabletsadjacent the outlet under force of gravity, a pivot member enabling thedispensing movement of the feeder, and a limb member uniting said lid,locking element and pivot member to form a single angled piece of aplastic material with springing properties.

8. A tablet dispenser made of plastic having a container with at leastone channel for holding and dispensing the tablets through an outlet atone end of the channel, a feeder fitting to said outlet and having a lidclosing said outlet in unactuated position and being openable againstspring tension, said lid having an opening arranged so as to open theoutlet of the channel in the active position of the lid, a lockingmember on said feeder in the form of a soft spring designed to beintroduced simultaneously with the actuation of the dispensing lidthrough an opening in the top of the dispensing channel to thereby exerta light pressure on at least the tablet next to the tablet or tablets tobe dispensed, thus pressing them against one of the Wall surfaces of thechanne, thereby preventing the movement of the tablet under pressure andof the subsequent tablets against the outlet While enabling dispensing 5of the tablet or tablets adjacent the outlet under force of gravity, thedispensing lid having the form of an angel piece, one limb of whichconsists of the 1id with the dispensing opening, the other limb being inactuated position arranged in parallel relationship to the outer Wall ofthe 10 channel and having its end pivoted on said Wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS TuttleOct. 11, 1921 Webber Mar. 10, 1931 Petrecca Dec. 8, 1953 Hansen et alMar. 20, 1956 Hermanson I an. 30, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Great BritainApr. 2, 1925,

3. A TABLET DISPENSER COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING WALLS THEREINDEFINING AN ARTICLE CONTAINING CHANNEL, SAID CHANNEL BEING SODIMENSIONED AS TO RECEIVE A SINGLE ROW OF ARTICLES, ONE END OF THECHANNEL OPENING THROUGH ONE WALL OF THE CONTAINER, A CLOSURE FOR SAIDOPENING, SAID CLOSURE COMPRISING AN APERTURED PLATE, MEANS MOUNTING SAIDPLATE ON SAID CONTAINER AND HAVING SLIDING CONTACT WITH SAID END WALL OFTHE CONTAINER, AND ADAPTED TO MOVE FROM CLOSING POSITION TO DISPENSINGPOSITION, THE APERTURE IN THE PLATE BEING ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH THEOPENING IN SAID ONE WALL WHEN THE PLATE IS IN DISPENSING POSITION, SAIDMOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL ANGULAR EXTENSION PLATE SECURED TOAN ADJACENT WALL OF SAID CONTAINER AND NORMALLY HELD IN RESILIENT SPACEDRELATION THERETO AND HOLDING SAID FIRST-NAMED PLATE IN CLOSED POSITION,SAID ADJACENT WALL HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH EXTENDING INTO THECHANNEL IN SPACED RELATION TO THE CHANNEL OPENING, AND A RESILIENTPROJECTION ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE EXTENSION PLATE OPERATING THROUGHSAID OPENING IN THE ADJACENT WALL, SAID PROJECTION ENTERING SAID CHANNELONLY UPON RESILIENTLY DEPRESSING SAID EXTENSION WALL TOWARD THECONTAINER WALL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID CLOSURE PLATE TODISPENSING POSITION.